Zona, also known as shingles, is a viral disease characterized by a painful rash with blisters in a localized area. Usually the rash occurs in a single, broad stripe on the left or right side of the body or face. Two to four days before the rash appears, there may be tingling or localized pain in the area. Otherwise, there are usually few symptoms, although some patients may have a fever or headache or feel tired. The rash usually heals within two to four weeks; however, some people develop persistent nerve pain that can last for months or years, a condition called postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). In people with poor immune function, the rash can be widespread. If the rash affects the eye, vision loss may occur.


Shingles and chickenpox are different human diseases but are closely related in their life cycle. Both originate from infection of an individual with the varicella zoster virus (VZV). Chickenpox, also called varicella, results from initial infection with the virus, usually during childhood or adolescence. Once chickenpox is gone, the virus can remain inactive (dormant) in human nerve cells for years or decades, after which it can be reactivated. Shingles occurs when the dormant varicella virus is reactivated. The virus then travels along nerve bodies to nerve endings in the skin, where blisters form. During an outbreak of shingles, exposure to the varicella virus found in shingles blisters can cause chickenpox in someone who has not yet had chickenpox; however, this initial infection does not cause shingles. How the virus remains dormant in the body or is subsequently reactivated is not well understood.


Risk factors for reactivation of the dormant virus include old age, poor immune function and having contracted chickenpox before 18 months of age. Diagnosis is usually based on the signs and symptoms presented. Varicella zoster virus is not the same as herpes simplex virus, although both belong to the same family of herpes viruses.


Treatment BeterKlinic

BeterKliniek is the clinic for Integrative Medicine that bridges regular and non-regular medicine.

An van Veen (physician) and Michael van Gils (therapist) look for the cause of a condition or disease. That is where the treatment starts otherwise, as people often say, it is 'carrying water to the sea'. We call this cause medicine. Sometimes it is also desirable to treat the symptoms (at the same time). We call this symptom medicine.

Chronic disorders often have their cause in epi- genetics. You can schedule a free informative telephone consultation (phone number 040-7117337 until 1 p.m.) at BeterKliniek to discuss your symptoms so that we can provide you with further advice.